SKM announces all India protest against VB-G RAM G law on January 16

New Delhi: The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Monday announced an "All India Resistance Day" on January 16 against the passing of a new law that replaces the rural employment scheme MGNREGA.

SKM leaders held a press conference on Monday where they demanded that the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajiveeka Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act be repealed.

They also asked the government to withdraw the new Labour Codes, Seeds Bill 2025, Electricity Bill 2025, and reiterated their demand for a law that guarantees MSP as per the Swaminathan Commission's formula.

The "authoritarian and anti-people" NDA government "bulldozed" through the G RAM G law in Parliament, replacing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA), SKM leaders said.

They said the Insurance Bill 2025 provides 100 per cent FDI in the sector and the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill 2025 allows large scale private and foreign participation as per the interests of Indian corporates and multinational companies.

"These attacks were in continuation of the imposition of the anti-people actions such as free trade agreements by succumbing to US pressure, the Seeds Bill, the Electricity Bill, the four Labour Codes and each step has alienated the huge masses of the working people from the NDA govt," the SKM said.

The umbrella body of farmers' organisations, which led the 2020-21 farmers' protests against the now-repealed farm laws, stressed on worker-farmer unity to counter these "attacks on the working people".

"The National Coordination Committee of the SKM has decided to observe January 16, 2026, as All India Resistance Day," it said.

SKM appealed to farmers and rural workers to hold village 'mahapanchayat' and take the New Year's pledge to join the struggle against the repeal of the Seeds Bill 2025, the Electricity Bill 2025, VB-G RAM G Act 2025, Labour Codes and to fight for a law on MSP guarantee and comprehensive loan waiver to end farmer suicides and urban migration.

A meeting of the national council of the SKM would be held on January 11 in Delhi to decide the further course of action, the farmer leaders said.

The VB-G RAM G scheme, which replaces Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005, was passed by Parliament post midnight on Thursday amid protests by the Opposition. It got the President's assent on Sunday.